The first time I went to Gen Con was in 1987 when Mark Rein•Hagen and I had just launched our new game-publishing company, Lion Rampant. Our plan had been to sell copies of our  new RPG, but the game was behind schedule, and the only thing we had to sell were $3 packs of “Whimsy Cards.” It’s hard to make your booth rental back when you’re selling a $3 product, but it was still a good start for us. We met people we’d only known through correspondence, such as Greg Stafford. And we got a good look at our industry, from the fans to the professional publishers. It was the first of a long line of happy Gen Cons for me.

Jonathan Tweet is a mammalian game designer who has been involved in the development of the role-playing games Ars Magica, Everway, Over the Edge, Talislanta and the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons, as well as the Collectible Miniatures Game Dreamblade. Visit his Facebook page.

Tags: contest, conventions, interview, rpg